Inker mechanism



March 14, 1944. J. K

' INKER MECHANISM Original Filed Aug. 3, 1940 6 x m z I 4, 0 9 7 w I L 11 FFT /7 7 w u 7 J v.

INVENTOR Jo/m Aunz Patented Mar. 14, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE2,343,910

INKER MECHANISM John Kunz, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Miller PrintingMachinery 00., Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Originalapplication August 3, 1940, Serial No. 350,705. Divided and thisapplication October 17, 1941, Serial No. 415,402

12 Claims. I (Cl. 101358) This invention relates to inker mechanism forprinting presses and the like. It relates more particularly to controlof the form inking rollers and to the raising of such rollers to aposition out of the path of the form, as is desirable when the mechanismis stopped for an appreciable period. The invention relates still moreparticularly to mechanism for raising the form inking rollers andoperating means therefor. This application is a division of my copendingapplication Serial No. 350,705, filed August 3, 19 40.

The invention, although not specifically so limited in all of itsaspects, will be described as embodied in an inker for a flat bed andcylinder Form rollers are generally soft surfaced and made of what isknown in the art as composition so as most effectively to ink the form.When the press is stopped for an appreciable period the composition formrollers are desirably raised out of the path of the form so that therewill be no possibility that they will lie in contact with the form whilethe parts are stationary. Various provisions for raising the formrollers out of the path of the form have heretofore been 3 made. Suchprovisions have in the main entailed the use of complicated andrelatively costly mechanism which further increases the complexity andcost of the already complex and expensive inker. means for thus raisingthe form rollers have not effectively performed the desired function.

I provide means for effectively raising the form rollers ofan inker'outof the path of the form,

which means are extremely simple and inexpensive in structure, easy andfoolproof in operation and reliable in use. I prefer, instead of bodilylifting the form rollers While maintaining them in fixed orientation ,ashas heretofore been customary, to tilt the form rollers, thus avoidingdisturbing the bearing at one end of each form roller and greatlyreducing the complexity and cost of the means for moving the formrollers to a position out of the path of the form. I provide simple andeffective means for raising Moreover, in some cases the at least one endof each form roller including roller raising means at the inside of theframe, operating means therefor at the outside of the frame andconnections therebetween whereby the raising of the form rollers may beeasily and effectively accomplished. I r

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent as the following description of a present preferred embodimentthereof proceeds.

In theaccompanying drawing I have shown a present preferred embodimentof the invention, in which 1 Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan View of aportion of an inker showing the form rollers and the means for raisingthe same to a position out of the path of the form;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the form rollers andraising means shown in Figure 1, the form rollers being indicated inraised position in chain lines; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical transverse cross-sectional viewshowing the means for raising theform rollers.

Referring now more particularly to the drawlng, there is provided aframe designated generally by reference numeral 2 relative to which thepress bed carrying the form oscillates. Since the bed and formconstitute no part of the present invention they are not shown in thedrawing. The form is mounted upon the bed and the bed oscillateshorizontally. During such oscillation the surface of the form is at theelevation indicated by the chain line A in Figure 2.

There are provided three form rollers 4, 5 and 6 for delivering ink tothe form. Ink is delivered to and distributed upon the form rollers 4, 5and 6 by means well known in the art, and since such means constitute nopart of the present invention they are not shown. The roller 4 ismounted upon a shaft 253, the roller 5 is mounted upon a shaft 254 andthe roller 6 is mounted upon a shaft 255. The right-hand ends of theshafts 253, 254 and 255 viewing Figural are mounted in bearings 25B, 251and 258, respectively, while the left-hand ends of such shafts aremounted in bearings 259, 260 and 26!, respectively. The bearings 253 and259 are alike, the bearings 25'! and 260 are alike and the bearings 258and 26| are alike. The bearings 259, 266 and 26! are clearly shown inFigure 2. Each thereof comprises a downwardly extending stem 262extending within a socket 263 in a bearing block 264 carried by theframe 2. -A set screw 265 provided with an adjusting nut 266 enters eachof the sockets 263 axially at its bottom, the stems 262 normally restingon the ends of the set screws as shown in Figure 2. Thus the operativepositions of the form rollers 4, and 6 may readily be adjusted.

The bearing 259 comprises a half yoke- 26'! carried by its stem 262, aspring pressed latch 268 cooperating with the half yoke 261 to hold oneend of the shaft 253 therein as shown in Figure 2. The bearing 266comprises a yoke 269 carried by its stem 262, the yoke 269 facingupwardly as shown in Figure 2. and containing one end of the shaft 254.ThebearingZBl-comprises-' a yoke 210 carried by its stem 262, the yoke219" facing at an angle of about 45 upwardly and. to the left as shownin Figure 2'and containing one end of the shaft 255. v

The frame 2 carries a pin 21l to which is.

elevating member 214 is; swung generally upwardly and somewhat to theleft viewing Figure 2 upon-the arm 216 and the link or arm 212 and uponsuch movement. it engages the shafts 253, 254 and 255 immediatelyadjacent the. bearings 259-, 260 and-26l and: thereby raises one end ofeach of the. three form roller shafts, also raising, of course,oneendofeach. of the three form rollers. The elevating. member 214 andits operating mechanism areso designed and proportioned that such:member will-raise one end of each of: the three form rollerssufiiciently that all of the formv rollerswill bemoved to a positioninwhich they will be entirely out of engagement withthe. form, even. if,the formbe positioned immediately below the form rollers. Since the-endof the shaft 253is lockedwithin the half, yoke 261 by the latch 2oz,upward movement of such. end of the shaft 253. is necessarilyaccompanied by upward movement of, the

bearing 259,,which is permitted by reason of the fact that the stem 262thereof is loosely and slidably received within the corresponding socket263. Since the yoke 269 opens directly upwardly the end of the shaft 254will simply be raised out of such yoke by the elevating member and theyoke will remain- .in place as shown in Figure 2. V The end of the shaft255 positioned by theyoke 210'will' either3slide up at an angle withinthe yoke while the yoke remains stationary or carry the yoke 'up with itupon being raised by the elevating member 214-, depending on whether thefriction between the shaft end and the yoke is greater or less than thefriction 7 between the stem 262 of'thebearing 261 and its socket 263'.However this maybe, each ofthe three-form rollers maybe tilted by: theelevating member 214 as above described to position itat a:point offsetfrom the path of the form. The elevating member 214 iSlllSEd for "thustilting the rorm'rollers only when the means for deliver-- ing inkltotheformtroll'ers are raised out of contact. therewith; for whichprovision is made in the inker. When the inker is not being used 'the,

form rollers, should be raised. This should be done not only when use ofthepresstis dlscon-' tinued at. the end of the day but also, for ex,-

' preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be distinctlyunderstood that the invention is not limited thereto but may beotherwise vari ously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an inker, a plurality of form inking rollers and common meansincluding a rapidly shiftable operating member for tilting said rollerssimultaneously' to a position out of the path of the form.

2. In an inker, a plurality of form inking rollers and means including arapidly shiftable operating member for simultaneously lifting one endonly of each of said rollers sufficiently to move said rollers topositions entirely out of the path of: theform;

3;. In an inker, a form inking roller, bearings for said roller adjacentits: ends: and means separate-from said bearings engaging said rolleradjacentone of. said bearings. to raise an end of the roller whereby totilt therollerto av position out of the path of the form.

4. Inan inker, a form inking roller, bearings for said roller adjacentits ends and means for raising one end only of the roller relatively tothe bearing adjacent that end whereby to tilt the roller to a positionout of the path of the form.

5; In an inker,. a form inking roller, bearings for said roller adjacentits ends=and means insidethereof for raising one end only of the formroller to tilt it to a position out of the path of the form.

7. In an inker, a frame, a form inking roller carried by the frame andmeans including an operating member at the outside of the frame and amember at the inside of the frame operable upon operation of saidoperating member toraise one end only of the form roller whereby to tiltit to a-position out of the path of the form.

8. In an inker, a frame, a form inking roller carried; by the frame, apair of pivots carried by the frame, an arm mounted on each pivot andmeans carried by said arms and adapted to rise upon angular movement ofsaid arms about said pivots to raise. one end only of the form rollerwhereby to tilt it tov a position out of the path of the form. 1

pivot means and manually operable means for moving said roller raisingmeans relatively to said-pivot means to raise the form roller to aposition out of the path of the form.

10. In an inker, a frame, a form inking roller carried by'the frame,roller raising'means at the inside of the frame, a manually operableoperating member at the outside of the frame and con- .nections betweensaid operating member and said 11. In an inker, a frame, a form inkingroller carried by the frame, a pair of pivots carried by the frame,roller raising means at the inside of the frame and connected with saidpivots and manually operable means at the outside of the frame to raisethe roller raising means relatively to said pivots whereby to raise theform roller to a position out of the path of the form.

12. In an inker, a frame, a form inking roller carried by the frame, apair of pivots carried by the frame, an arm mounted on each pivot,roller raising means carried by said arms at the inside of the frame andadapted to rise upon angular movement of said arms about said pivots, amanually operable operating member at the outside of the frame andconnections between said operating member and said arms whereby uponoperation of said operating member said roller raising means is causedto rise whereby to raise the form roller to a position out of the pathof the 10 form.

JOHN KUNZ.

